BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

WHAT should West bid next after he decides to open 1♦, and partner responds 1♠? THIS is yesteday’s West hand with East added. Both players were experienced and playing Acol. West has only two rebid options: he can bid 1NT to show his point count or support partner with 2♠. He is not strong enough to reverse into 2♥, which would suggest a longer diamond suit. Clearly, East is going to pass, whichever partner chooses, being strictly minimum. West chose 1NT and went one down, with nine or ten tricks available in either major. The postmortem doesn’t bear repeating, except that 1♦ on such a hand is simply not Acol!

Replace the East hand with ♠Axx ♥K9xxx ♦xx ♣AKx. He will bid 1♥ over a 1♦ opening and West must raise to 3♥. From East’s position, his partner has announced having no more than four black cards because his jump raise in hearts promises his first-bid diamond suit must be longer. With ♠A and ♣AK to look after three of the losers, East is likely to end up in a ludicrous slam, which wouldn’t deserve to make.

So the second reason why you must make an honest opening bid is that partner will otherwise be fooled about the distribution.